2010 Formula One season
|next = |Races = 18 |Drivers = 27 |Teams = 12 |Engine Suppliers = Cosworth, Ferrari, Mercedes, Renault |Tyre Suppliers = |image = |caption = Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull-Renault) - 256 points |image2 = |caption2 = Red Bull Racing - 498 points }}The 2010 Formula One season was the 61st Formula One season of World Championship motor racing competition. The season's first race was held on March 14 in Bahrain and the season concluded on November 14 in the United Arab Emirates after 19 motor races held in 18 countries on five continents. Red Bull Racing won its maiden Constructors' Championship with a one-two finish in Brazil, while Red Bull Racing's Sebastian Vettel won the Drivers' Championship after winning the final race of the season. In doing so, Vettel became the youngest World Drivers' Champion in the sport's sixty-year history. This was Bridgestone's last season as the sole tyre supplier in Formula One as the company announced that it would not renew its contract at the end of the season. Season preview Jenson Button entered the season as World Drivers' Champion and Mercedes GP (won as Brawn GP) as World Constructors' Champion. Rule Changes *Refuelling during the race was abolished for the first season since . Despite the resolution over the budget cap and the decision for 2010 to fall back to the rules, FOTA expressed interest in a refuelling ban as it represents a way to cut costs. *Teams had to homologate certain parts of the car, including the driver's survival cell, roll structures, all impact structures and the front and rear wheels, meaning they couldn't be modified over the course of the season without written approval from the FIA on safety or reliability grounds. The minimum car weight increased from 605 kg to 620 kg (1,334 lbs to 1,367 lbs) to better accommodate heavier drivers with KERS units, despite FOTA's agreement not to use the system. *Drivers were given eleven sets of tyres over the course of a weekend, reduced from the fourteen sets in 2009. Three of these sets were for practice only and were returned before the start of qualifying, regardless of whether they are used or not. The front tyres are narrowed from 270 mm (11 in) to 245 mm (9.6 in), in order to improve the balance of grip between the front and rear. Wheel covers and rim heaters were banned, and tyre blankets were only allowed to act on the tyre's outer surface. *Powered devices that lift any part of the car during the pit stop were banned, and to prevent teams from releasing a car into the path of an oncoming driver in pit lane, the crew had to wait until the oncoming driver that is within a 25 m (82 ft) zone either side of the pit box has passed. *Replacement drivers were permitted to one day of testing, provided they have not participated in an Formula One race in the last two calendar years. This was in response to several drivers in 2009 competing in their début weekend with no experience of their F1 car. Teams are also allowed to run a replacement driver in the Friday practice sessions. *A new points system was ratified for 2010, in response to the increased grid. Since , points had been awarded to the top eight finishers, on a 10–8–6–5–4–3–2–1. The 2010 system awards the top ten classified finishers on a 25–18–15–12–10–8–6–4–2–1 basis. *The qualifying system changed to accommodate the extra cars: 7 cars drop out of the first qualifying session, 7 from the second session and 10 cars will challenge for Pole position in the third session. The third session was to be run in a low-fuel configuration due to the refuelling ban, although these drivers must start the race on the set of tyres used in the third session. In the event that a tyre is damaged in qualifying, the FIA technical delegate will assess the extent of the damage and may allow the car to switch tyres to a set he deems to be safe. *The stewarding system now had a fixed pool of stewards to draw from for each race, including former racing drivers, instead of a rotating line-up. Previously, stewards were only able to issue twenty-five second penalties for infractions that occurred too late in the race for drivers to receive a normal penalty, but for 2010 they had the power to hand out twenty-second penalties to drivers who would have received a drive-through penalty and thirty-second penalties to those who would have received a stop-and-go penalty. A penalty had to be completed within two laps of the issuing rather than the three of previous years now. *In order to accommodate the extra teams, the maximum number of cars allowed to take part in a race increased from 24 to 26 cars. Formula One Management offered financial support to all new teams for 2010, in the form of $10m (£6.25m, €6.8m) along with the free transportation of two chassis and 10,000 kg (22,049 lbs) of freight to each race. The increased number of teams now requires garages to be allocated on an equal basis at each Grand Prix. *The Concorde Agreement, which governs Formula One, was renewed at the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix. Several cost-cutting proposals were included, such as a limit on the number of aerodynamic upgrades permitted over the course of a season and restrictions on the number of team personnel who attend a Grand Prix weekend. Also included was a Provision that teams were now be able to miss as many as three races before being ejected from the championship, although the FIA was to incur some kind of penalty for a missed race. 2009-2010 cars length compare.jpg|Cars were 20-22cm longer than the 2009 versions because of the larger fuel tank 2009-2010 tyre compare.jpg|The front tyres changed from 270 mm (11 in) to 245 mm (9.6 in) Driver changes Team changes Teams and Drivers The following teams and drivers compete in the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship. Season calendar On 21 September 2009 the provisional 2010 calendar was issued by the World Motor Sport Council containing 19 races followed by a second provisional schedule which had the Abu Dhabi and Brazilian Grands Prix switching dates. The final calendar was released on December 11, 2009 Season review Results and standings Grands Prix Drivers' Championship Championship points were awarded on a 25–18–15–12–10–8–6–4–2–1 basis to the first ten finishers in each race. |valign="top"| Bold - Pole Italics - Fastest lap |} Drivers did not finish the Grand Prix, but were classified as they completed over 90% of the race distance. Constructors' Championship Championship points were awarded on a 25–18–15–12–10–8–6–4–2–1 basis to the first ten finishers in each race. Cars did not finish the Grand Prix, but were classified as they completed over 90% of the race distance. References #https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_Formula_One_season #http://www.statsf1.com/en/2010.aspx Category:Formula One Seasons Category:Seasons